Various apparatuses which form and fill gable top paperboard cartons are known in the prior art. For example, the Cherry-Burrell packaging machine, Model H-75, is a standard in the field. The Cherry-Burrell machine forms a paperboard carton having four sides and a bottom, partially folds the upper ends of the sides of the carton into a gable top, fills the carton, and completely folds and seals the gable top. The Cherry-Burrell machine operates continuously in an assembly line-type manner, such that cartons are formed and filled one by one in the machine at sequential stations, each of which performs a small task on the carton in under one second, before the carton moves on to the next station. The Cherry-Burrell machine is mentioned as an example only. Other manufacturers also provide form and fill machines which could be utilized to form a carton with a gable top.
Gable top cartons of this type, though, have disadvantages when they are used to store and dispense liquid products such as milk, juice, etc. Specifically, the gable top can often be difficult to open correctly without accidentally tearing the carton, and, when the top is reclosed, it fails to provide a liquid-tight closure and thus allows spillage of the liquid if the carton is shaken or accidentally tipped over.
Accordingly, it has become desirable to place a resealable closure on a sloping side of the gable top as a substitute for opening the gable top, wherein the closure is more easily opened and is liquid-tight when reclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,640 to Ando et al. discloses a method of attaching a mouthpiece 34 to a gable top carton 20, wherein the mouthpiece is pushed through an aperture 32 in a sloping side 28 of the gable top carton 20 such that the mouthpiece 34 is held to the side 28 by a flange 46 and retainer lugs 48 of the mouthpiece 34, and wherein the flange 46 is then thermally or ultrasonically fused to the side 28.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,578 to Gordon et al. also discloses a method of attaching a pour spout 40 to a gable top carton 10, wherein the spout 40 is first placed on the open gable top such that a flange 46 overlies an opening 30 in the gable top, and wherein the flange 46 is then heated and pressed into contact with the gable top such that the flange 46 adheres to the gable top.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,434 to Jones et al. discloses a method of securing a pouring spout 1 to a sloping side 2 of a gable top carton, wherein a hole is first cut in the sloping side 2, wherein the spout 1 is then inserted into the hole such that a flange 6 thereof extends around the hole, wherein a skirt section 4 of the spout 1 is then heated to bend and form a second flange around an opposite side of the hole, and wherein both of the flanges are heated to bond and seal with the material of the side 2.
The above methods of attaching spouts to gable top containers have the disadvantages, among others, that they are complex and susceptible to accidental removal of the installed spout or they employ thermal or ultrasonic devices to bond a spout to a container. Such methods are accordingly relatively expensive, and, in the case of thermal or ultrasonic bonding, may be difficult to integrate into the operation of a packaging machine.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for attaching spouts to planar portions of articles such as containers.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for attaching spouts to planar portions of articles, which are readily integratable into a standard forming and fitting machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for performing the steps of attaching spouts to planar portions of articles with highly accurate repeated horizontal and vertical positioning of the articles and the spouts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for positioning and manipulating a spout for the application of bonding agent so that bonding agent is applied quickly and uniformly about a periphery of the spout.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for conveying spouts from a storage source to sequential stations where a bonding site is prepared and the spouts are attached that is fast, reliable and accurate.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for attaching spouts to planar portions of articles which are readily integratable in a standard form and filling machine and which interrupt the operation of the standard machine as little as possible.
The above objects as well as other objects not specifically enumerated are accomplished by a method of attaching a spout to a planar portion of an article in accordance with the present invention.
In one aspect of the present invention, the method includes the steps of moving the article successively to at least two stations of a conveyor line, positioning an edge portion of the planar portion at a first predetermined position relative to a hole punch at a first article station, punching a hole through the planar portion at the first station, positioning a spout at a first predetermined position relative to a bonding agent applicating station, applying a bonding agent to the spout, positioning the prepared spout at a second predetermined position relative to a spout applicator station, positioning the edge portion of the article at a second predetermined position relative to the spout applicator at a second article station, and attaching the spout to the planar portion about the hole at the second station.
The objects of the invention are also accomplished by an apparatus for attaching a spout to a planar portion of an article. The apparatus includes a hole punch, a first article positioning means having a first positioning surface thereon located in a first predetermined position relative to the hole punch for positioning the article relative to the hole punch, a bonding site preparer, a first spout positioning means located in a predetermined position relative to the bonding site preparer for positioning the spout relative to the bonding site preparer, a spout applicator, a second article positioning means having a second positioning surface thereon located in a second predetermined position relative to the spout applicator for positioning the article relative to the spout applicator, and a second spout positioning means located in a predetermined position relative to the spout applicator.
In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus includes punching means for punching a hole, wherein the punching means punches along a central punching axis. A first article positioning means for positioning an edge portion of the planar portion is provided, which first positioning means is spaced from the punching axis by a predetermined distance. A second article positioning means for positioning the edge portion of the planar portion is provided, wherein the second article positioning means is spaced from the attaching axis by the same predetermined distance. This feature ensures that the spout attaching means is precisely aligned with the hole that has been punched in the article. A bonding agent applying means, for applying bonding agent in a circle about a central spout applying axis, is associated with a first spout positioning means for positioning the central axis of the spout. Further, a spout attaching means for attaching a spout is provided such that the spout attaching means has a central attaching axis. A second spout positioning means for positioning the spout relative to the spout applicator is also provided.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for attaching a spout to a gable top of a paperboard carton, which includes a spout applicator mounted for translation along a spout applying axis, an article positioning means including a substantially horizontal positioning surface spaced from the spout applying axis by a predetermined axis, an article lifting means, which includes a clamp for clamping an edge portion of the article and a means for raising the clamped article, a spout conveying means, which includes an air conveyor and a gravity track, a first spout positioning means, a glue applicator associated with the spout positioning means, and a spout lifting means which lifts a spout from the track and rotates it about a gluing axis a predetermined distance from the glue applicator, and a second spout positioning means including a vertical spout feeding means which feeds spouts to the spout applicating means in a predetermined orientation. This aspect of the present invention also includes a suction cup connected to a source of suction beneath the first spout positioning means.
The present invention also relates to a method of positioning a planar portion of an article, which includes the steps of moving the article relative to a positioning means via moving means. The planar portion of the article is guided between a pair of restraining surfaces of the positioning means, while an edge portion of the planar portion is positioned against a positioning surface of the positioning means.